It has been very refreshing to have now embarked on a ‘maker’ type course as part of my Masters degree, after so many theoretical and critical review type courses.  I am a firm believer in the concept that we learn best by trial and error, through the process of taking concepts and applying them (and our skills with them) to our own individual context. After learning about the design thinking process earlier in the program, it was great to finally see the process through from start to finish, moving away from the concept and into the actual practical use of it.

This maker course was a bit tricky at the outset for me, as I am not employed by a company where I could find cause to build a digital learning resource.  It was though convenient that my partner was just about to go on leave, and was concerned about the transition to her replacement. 

I, like many educators with many years experience, struggle sometimes to step out of my comfort zone.  I know what works, know what I do well as an educator both face to face and online, and also have spent years developing ways to engage adult learners.  The design thinking process forced me to try new things, be a more attentive listener, and to allow my learners to guide my choices.  I really found it illuminating, in that what I first ‘assumed’ might work in this situation, wasn’t exactly what I ended up doing.  I am going to see this through, and am going to get the user I created my Google Keep learning resource for to complete my mini course.  I plan to then recap with her to gain feedback on my resource directly. 

What was the most surprising thing that you learned by participating in the design thinking process and designing and developing your digital learning resource?

The thing that surprised me the most was how focused and quick the actual design of the prototype resource was for me.  I usually deliberate over how to approach lessons or a course, and question myself throughout.  Having already completed the empathy, design and ideation phases really helped to narrow and solidify my approach, so when it came down to prototyping, I found I was extremely clear on what I wanted to do.  I knew the method I chose would benefit this learner, and after spending time with my end user, I really saw clearly what design tact would work for her.  I’ll wait and see if I am right in my ‘assumption’.

What suggestions and improvements did you receive? Did you get any feedback that you did not expect? What feedback needs further investigation?

I received many constructive and revealing suggestions from both my instructor and my peers.  The main things I gleaned from this feedback is that I need to make my learning goals more apparent to my learner in my introductory video, so that they can clearly see what it is I hope they can take away from the process.  Revealing this could help them to not only know if they are on the right track (especially since I really only have one learner, so she can’t gauge the work of others), but also to help them understand how I feel this mini course fits into their work environment and how I can see it improving their ability to negotiate their workflow. 

Additionally, I perhaps needed to explain a bit more clearly how feedback was part of my course.  My focus was not academic in nature, and I chose to require learners to build notes and take screenshots after completing tasks in order for them to ‘show’ me that they have learned from my screencasts.  I planned to give written or audio feedback to give suggestions to those who were struggling to complete the tasks.  They would ultimately know if they completed the tasks correctly, so feedback wouldn’t really be needed for those who were successful. 

One aspect that those who reviewed me perhaps didn’t note, was that I mentioned in my written portion that I planned to ask my users to review the Google Sheets document as a reflection component later in the process.  The wiki was meant to reveal how perhaps they were now making steps to deal with weaknesses they had identified earlier, and how Google Keep was helping them to be more efficient.  Again, this was intended to be more constructivist, as they are taking the tool and using it in ways that suits them best. 

What are the next steps you would like to take to build upon your digital learning resource?

As mentioned above, I do plan to get my end user to complete this mini course, and I also plan to now communicate with the other administrator in the office, with the intention of encouraging the collaboration using Google Keep I had suggested.  I intend to review the work my user completes, as well as to speak to her afterwards to gain some perspective on her experience in the Moodle course, as well as to gain feedback on visual and task elements and how useful they were for her. 

I would also like to touch base with her in a few months, in order to see to what degree she has integrated this tool or something like it into her daily work.   This feedback will allow me to see how my design is received, but also to understand the extent to which the skills learned are actually applied in the long term at work. 

Also, consider how you might utilize the design thinking process for the design and creation of digital learning resources in the future, or for other tasks that you may encounter within your instructional context.

I am fully bought into the idea of the human centred design process, and feel very strongly that interacting with end users and empathetically ascertaining their needs prior to designing content is a process I will attempt to engage in whenever possible in my future work.  I intend to become an instructional designer, and although I know that not all situations will allow for the full design thinking process, will always have empathetic design in mind when creating learning environments for unique learners and contexts.  In particular, I think taking a step back before barrelling into an idea or approach really is something I plan to integrate into my own process from now on.